New Army boss 'warned of shortages'

Thursday 29 January 2009 00:08 BST

The new head of the Army warned three years ago there were not enough troops to carry out the mission in Afghanistan.

General Sir David Richards, who took charge on Friday, told The Times that his comments about troop shortages when he commanded the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan had caused "upset" within Nato and the MoD.

Gen Richards said: "I caused a bit of an upset in Nato and the MoD by forcefully pointing out that we had insufficient troops for the task given us - not even a reserve - and that the international community's effort there was approaching something close to anarchy."

His outspoken predecessor General Sir Richard Dannatt was frequently at odds with ministers, and Gen Richards acknowledged he would be a "hard act to follow".

In his role as Chief of the General Staff, he will face battles closer to home in order to ensure that his troops have the equipment and support they need.

Brigadier Tim Radford, the commander of British forces in Afghanistan, has called for an increase in the number of helicopters, which he said would make the military effort "more tactically effective".

His comments came as Gen Richards promised to concentrate efforts on defeating the Taliban.

He said: "As part of the Defence team, I will continue to focus on what is needed to meet the Government's aims in Afghanistan and the region, and ensuring the Army achieves the tasks laid upon it."

Gen Richards added: "The Army's most valuable assets are its people: it is essential that we continue to look after our soldiers and their families, especially those injured or affected adversely through conflict."

One of the main challenges he will face in Whitehall is the upcoming strategic defence review (SDR) as all three services seek to protect their share of the military budget. All main parties have committed to holding a root and branch review after the next election.